I feel stuck...

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Recently, I’ve felt a massive lack of clarity about what I want to do with my life and career.

When people ask, “What’s next for you?” I struggle to answer.

The truth is I haven’t the faintest clue.

I’m starting to realize that not having it all figured out is part of growing up. That even the people I look up to are still winging it themselves.

But for my own satisfaction, and to close the loops in my head, I figured I’d write to my future self and see if I could make sense of the jumbled mess in my head.

Here’s a collection of lessons from others, reminders to self, and goals I have for the future:

Lessons

• Habits have a ‘blast radius’ - surround yourself with big thinkers who make you feel normal for having extreme ambitions.

• You’ll be surprised by how reachable most people are - “He who asks remains a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask remains a fool forever.” The key is to ask intelligently.

• “Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Day by day, and at the end of the day, if you live long enough, like most people, you will get out of life what you deserve.” - Charlie Munger

• The work needs doing. “Sometimes magic is just someone else spending more time than anyone else might reasonably expect.” - Teller

• Spend more time journaling, writing, and reflecting on what you want out of life. “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”

• Things that aren’t your fault can still be your responsibility. Being an adult means taking ownership of everything in your life. If you can control it, do something about it. If you can’t, forget it and move on.

• Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of laziness. Ask yourself, “What are you optimizing for at this very moment?” Then go execute.

• “You waste years by not being able to waste hours.” Make space for stillness, silence, and solitude. Your best ideas happen when you’re not trying so hard to have them.

• Reverse engineer your ideal life: What do I want to have happen? What do I have to be known for in order for X to happen? What do I have to do in order to be known for X? What do I have to learn in order to do things to be known for X?

• Learn how to talk to different people differently. “First arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.”

• “If you want to be wealthy, spend your time earning, learning, or relaxing. Outsource or ignore everything else.” - Naval Ravikant

• “If your business needs something (like a new website or a new hire or a new truck) but you’re too cheap to buy it, you end up paying for it every day.” - Nick Huber

• “If you bask in their praise, you will drown in their condemnation. True freedom is freedom from all external perceptions.” - Jack Moses

• “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions, and help them throw rocks at their enemies.” - Blair Warren

• “Interested people watch obsessed people change the world.” - Tim Grover

• You don’t write once you’re an expert. You become an expert by writing about it.

• “Whenever you can in life, optimize for independence rather than pay. If you have independence and you’re accountable for your output, as opposed to your input - that’s the dream.” - Naval Ravikant

• “As a young person, you don’t need your startup to succeed for it to be ‘worth it’. The skills, experiences, and stories you pick up are valuable. If you’re thinking of starting a startup, think of it like opening a door into a room that has 3 more doors.” - Shaan Puri <> “Your first business isn’t where you get rich. It’s where you get good.” - Alex Hormozi

• “The only job that actually exists is ‘problem solver’. The bigger, badder problems you can be trusted to solve, the more you get paid.” - Shaan Puri

• The power of a personal brand: It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you. <> The goal isn’t to be well-known, it’s to be known well. <> Niche fame <> Write to attract smart, wealthy people.

Reminders to self

• My favorite days are when I have 3 buckets: Deep work (undistracted time to knock off big tasks). Deep spontaneity (Big blocks of open time to go on walks, have conversations, create space for inspiration). Deep curiosity (Alone time to go down rabbit holes, read books, and scour the internet).

• If you feel uninspired, go for a walk and listen to The Founders Podcast.

• When stuck between two equal decisions, ask yourself, “Which choice makes for a better story?”

• Never let the body grow soft (run, lift, climb, swim, jump) and the mind become dull (read, journal, face fears, seek challenges).

• Treat Twitter like a public journal. You will attract fewer customers, but more friends. But people buy from people they know, like, and trust.

• Turn online assets (theme pages, personal brand) into offline assets (real estate, physical products).

• Check in on your friends. It’s as simple as, “Hey, I was thinking about you the other day. How have you been?”

• It’s okay to want something different from everyone else around you. Sometimes the price for what you want is fitting in and feeling normal. That’s okay.

• I am extreme. I am intense. I love to start things. I struggle with consistency and continuing things. After a while, I get bored. Hire operators.

• Time spent with family dwindles as you age. Cherish it.

• Pay for speed. The richest people I know are constantly hiring the best coaches, advisors, and experts to help them. Fitness, business, mindset, marketing, etc.

• A bunch of cash-flowing MRR businesses > VC money and build a unicorn

• You don’t have to have the last word.

• Call your parents and grandparents more often.

• Create a story bank. Collect stories for marketing, dinner parties, etc.

• Never make a big decision when you’re HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired).

• Take simple ideas seriously. No phone before priority tasks. No junk food. Sleep 8 hours. No phone at dinner. Look people in the eyes. Say please and thank you. Don’t hurt your reputation. Don’t raise your voice unless necessary. Read more books.

• Stay in the game long enough to get lucky.

• Alone =/ Lonely

• Play games where you have an advantage.

• Other people winning doesn’t mean you’re losing.

• Being cheap with talent is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make.

• In 12 months time, what would you like to be true? Go make it happen.

• “The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life.” - Naval Ravikant

Current Goals

• I want to hit 225 lb. bench press before August 20th.

• I want to be sponsored by an athletic clothing brand (Gymshark, ASRV, etc.) - probably not the best way to make money, but I think it’s super cool.

• Keep thinking about leverage. How can you get more from doing the same (or less) amount of work? Ex: $500 ad for 10,000 subscribers vs. $10,000 ad for 150,000 subscribers. Same newsletter structure.

• “If life were a video game, whose stats would be maxed?” I look up to Sahil Bloom, Ryan Holiday, Ali Abdaal, and James Clear. They all have a business that gives them freedom, a media empire for impact, lots of family time, and a time block for fitness.

• I want to build businesses that are amplified by my online audience, but not reliant on it.

• End goal: A fit body, calm mind, house full of love, meaningful work, and enough wealth to not have to worry about it.

Wow. Just spent the last 2 hours hunched over my computer spewing everything I could think of. I’m honestly surprised by how much I’ve collected and learned. I’m sure I’m missing a lot, and I could keep going - but I’m going to stop here for now.

This was a helpful exercise. Try it out. What have you learned? What do you want to tell your future self? What goals do you have right now?

See you next Sunday,

Jay Yang

Ps — I’ve been writing a daily essay over on my Instagram page. I’d love it if you checked it out and read a few. Cheers!

Pps — I’m excited to revisit this newsletter in a few years and see how much has changed vs. stayed the same.

Jay’s Finds

Some of the best content I found on the internet this week…

• Always love Morgan Housel’s writing

• I love reverse engineering those ahead of me on the career ladder. A big inspiration of mine is Ryan Holiday. His career advice.

• Every time I listen to David Senra, I feel like running through a brick wall afterward.

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